The Thief

13

"Where's Gaius?" Asked John Howden as he looked around.

"I'm sorry. He was needed in Camelot, but I will help in any way that I can," I promised him as I walked towards Mary, John, and Gwen. He turned to Gwen.

"We're living in fear for our lives. We need a skilled physician, not a boy," he whispered, but I heard every word. It hurt, I won't lie, that he didn't give me a chance.

"His name is Merlin," Elyan came to my rescue from behind. He placed his hand on my shoulder as if saying that I was one of them.

"He was appointed acting physician by King Arthur himself," Gwen mentioned to him. To ease up the tension, I asked where the injured was. John points and Gwen and I head in the direction appointed. When we found them laying on a table, I took out a mirror and checked the breathing. The mirror fogged up a bit.

"They're alive, but only just. How long have they been like this?" I questioned.

"Two or three days. We've tried to feed them, keep them warm, but nothing seems to make any difference," John explained.

"And you've no idea what happened to them?" Gwen asked. I looked around and back at the man in front of me.

"No. It just strikes suddenly, without warning," he told us. I turned back to them.

"Well, we need to stimulate the blood flow. Poultice of betulial should work, and a tincture of belladonna to stimulate the heart," I said handing Gwen the stuff and she nods to my instructions.

"Will it kill them? Will it...bring them back?" John asked worried.

"Let's see what the morning brings. Right now we need hot water and plenty of blankets," I replied just as quickly as he finished. Gwen nodded and left with John. The door shuts and I turned to the man I was checking. "Ic þe þurhhæle þin licsare!" I muttered, but nothing happened. I didn't understand. This must have been some sort of magic. I just didn't know what.

When night came, I read over my medical notes again. I heard a hissing sound outside. I look up and see a shadow fall across the window. I took a fishing rod by the door and went out to investigate. After a moment with more hissing, I turn around the corner of the house and is startled by Gwaine.

"Gwaine!" I shouted.

"Sorry. Call of nature," he laughed.

"I could've killed you!" I yelled raising the fishing rod. Was the hissing sound only Gwaine?

"With a fishing rod? 'Sir Gwaine was slain...with a fishing rod'?" He joked. I laughed. "That's the stuff of legends, eh?" I chuckled and fakes hitting Gwaine with the rod. "Whoa-ho-ho," he took a step back jokingly. Gwaine chuckled and walked away. I heard the hissing again, but nothing was there. I frowned knowing that wasn't Gwaine. I began to follow him.

"How are they?" John asked when he came in the next day. I looked at Gwen and she looked at me.

"I'm afraid the treatments have had no effect," I replied.

"You mean they're dying." He stated.

"I'm sorry. There's something at work here that I don't understand," I explained. He asked if I meant sorcery, and I said it was possible.

"I feared as much. The other night, when I found Aldref, I felt a...a presence. An evil in the air," He explained. I turned to Gwen and told her we had to get back to Gaius.
The next thing I know, we're all riding out. When we barely made it a quarter way, Leon stopped us. He ordered us dismount and not make a sound. We obeyed.